Obviously, with the real estate market in such great shape, real estate professionals have had to break out of their comfort zone and seek non-traditional sources of revenue. Since it’s summer time and many of you will be travelling on vacation, I thought I would share with you the nuances of leasing in the airport space. Most of the basics of down and dirty leasing are essentially the same as other areas but, of course, there are some aspects of the process that you need to be aware of when attempting to lease, or represent a tenant in leasing, an airport space. Personally, once I have parked, I enjoy the airport atmosphere. The buzz and constant activity actually can make you believe that we are in the middle of a vibrant economy. Plus, the retail areas of the major airports around the country have stepped up in class and quality considerably over the years. As such, I have to believe that there is ample opportunity to make a buck in this area. Attached is an article that takes you through the process and nuances of leasing retail in airports.SP-#3473498-v1-Retail_Leasing_at_Airports Even if you have absolutely no interest in this area you sure as heck can impress your family during one of your layovers of your vast knowledge of the process of how that airport Whataburger came to be!

All of you know by now, if you read my posts here or on LinkedIn, that I am a big fan of Dave Barry, a really funny columnist for the Miami Herald. I think he is bright and to the point on most subjects. However, in 2006, he wrote a piece on the upcoming NBA Championship matchup between Dallas and Miamihttp://www.miamiherald.com/2006/06/08/2275478/miami-wins-now-we-can-go-shopping.html. Frankly, I was really disappointed in his description/depiction of my beloved hometown of Dallas. As such, as one final jab at our friends in Miami and, in particular, Mr. Barry, I offer the following rebuttal to his column (you have to read it first or you will think I am just being a smart a—!) First, while Dave doesn’t even know or care that Dallas is located in beautiful North Texas, that’s ok, because we generally think of Miami as somewhere close to Cuba. Second, while our owner, Mark Cuban, can be a little eccentric, he is generally very generous and gracious (cue to trophy acceptance ceremony where he took a back seat to our original owner, Don Carter) as opposed to the “King” who debases all of the “little people” (such as Miami fans and others who but tickets and merchandise to pay his bloated salary). Third, I agree that our airport is huge. In fact, when we refer to the Miami airport we call it Terminal “B”. Finally, it is gratifying to know that , arguably, the biggest choke in NBA history in 2006 has been far surpassed by the monumental, and all time biggest NBA, choke in 2011. Ok, I vented (and I still love Dave Barry!)

I am headed off for vacation so my next post won’t be until the week after next. I can’t wait to awe my family with my intricate knowledge of airport retail—-yeah right.